He’d be dead if he were still on the streets
Mike spent 10 years on the streets. A decade of sleeping outside. A decade of worsening health, swelling pain and constant fear. He walked with a cane or a walker, battled chronic medical issues and did his best to stay alert through long nights alone.
“I wouldn’t make it out there today,” he said. “I barely made it then.”
Everything changed the day he opened the door to his apartment at Veterans Park, a National CORE community built for veterans who need stability, care and respect.
“When I saw my place, I almost fell down,” he said. “The bed, the kitchen, the safety – I couldn’t believe it. They saved me.”
Hope through Housing helped him access the VA benefits he couldn’t apply for while unhoused. They connected him to in-home support services, helped him manage his email, arranged transportation for medical appointments – all the things that allow a veteran to live with dignity.
But Mike’s story is not unique. Across the nation, veterans face impossible odds without housing – they cannot access benefits, manage appointments or care for their health while living on the street. Stability starts with a home.